A method for confirming the credentials of a user

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a computer implemented method for confirming the credentials of a user comprising the method steps of: allowing the user to create a profile containing verifiable data; recording the verifiable data to a central resource; cross checking an item of verifiable data with a reference source; recording data associated with the result of the cross check to the central resource; and recording data associated with at least one method step to the central resource.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a computer implemented method forconfirming the credentials of a user. The present invention furtherrelates to a data processing apparatus for carrying out the computerimplemented method. The present invention also relates to a computerprogram for causing a computer to carry out the computer implementedmethod. The present invention further relates to a computer-readablemedium for causing a computer to carry out the computer implementedmethod.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Establishing trust in a tradesperson or professional is important, notjust for potential clients and customers but for employers, trainers andothers working in the industry. It is desirable to know that someone isa reputable tradesperson or professional who has adequate accreditationsand or qualifications, up-to-date training and provides a good qualityof work. This is of particular importance when safety, cost and accessto a person's property are considered.

Often, word-of-mouth as well as proof of accreditation and orqualification and accreditation are used to establish trust in atradesperson or professional. If a good reputation has been built insomeone's colleagues, employer or company, trust can be gained byassociation. Additionally, a number of different information sources areoften used to verify quality of work, including online reviews oncompany websites, social media and, for tradespeople, other dedicatedtrades platforms. It can be arduous and time consuming to collateinformation on tradespeople an/or professionals and it can be difficultto establish trust in these sources of information. Additionally, it canbe challenging for those new to a trade or a profession, and withoutothers to confirm their reputability, to be accepted into trainee,apprentice and employment positions.

There is also a need for greater transparency and credential checking oftradespersons and professionals, as such mediums are open to abuse, forexample through spreading of misinformation, fraudulent proof ofaccreditation and or qualification and dishonest claims and reviews. Areliable and accurate means to verify the credentials of a tradespersonand professionals is required, without opportunity for such abuse.Similar considerations are also important when considering serviceproviders in general.

Embodiments and aspects of the present invention seek to address atleast the above problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided acomputer implemented method for confirming the credentials of a usercomprising the method steps of: allowing the user to create a profilecontaining verifiable data; recording the verifiable data to a centralresource; cross checking an item of verifiable data with a referencesource; recording data associated with the result of the cross check tothe central resource; and recording data associated with at least onemethod step to the central resource.

In this way there is advantageously provided a method wherein a reliableand accurate collation of verified user credentials is built to acentral resource. Such a resource is of great advantage when dealingwith members of the construction and building trades. Such a resource isalso advantageous when considering service providers and professionalsin general, whether these service providers are companies orindividuals.

Preferably, the method comprises cross checking an item of verifiabledata against a plurality of reference sources. More preferably, themethod comprises cross checking a plurality of items of verifiable dataagainst a plurality of reference sources. Using a plurality of referencesources may increase the accuracy of any cross check.

Preferably, the method comprises the further review step of: comparingdata associated with two or more method steps recorded to the centralresource; and issuing an alert if the comparison produces a resultoutside of a desired range. Preferably, the review step comprisesdetermining the desired range from data stored on the central resource.Preferably, the data stored on the central resource comprises prior userdata associated with a prior user.

Preferably, the review step further comprises recording data associatedwith the presence or absence of an alert to the central resource.Preferably, the data comprises the time the method steps were completed,comparing the data associated with the completion of two or more methodsteps recorded to the central resource comprises determining the elapsedtime period between the completion of the two or more method steps; andissuing an alert if the comparison produces a result outside of adesired range comprises issuing a time alert if the elapsed time periodis outside of a desired range. For example, if the elapsed time periodis unexpectedly short it may be because multiple parties are workingtogether to input false information. The same may also be true when theelapsed time period is unduly long.

Preferably, the data comprises location information, comparing the dataassociated with the completion of two or more method steps recorded tothe central resource comprises determining the proximity between thelocations where completion of the two or more method steps occurred; andissuing an alert if the comparison produces a result outside of adesired range comprises issuing a proximity alert if the proximity isoutside of a desired distance range. For example, if two method stepsare competed in close proximity to one another, this may indicate thatthe information provided during the completion of these method steps isinaccurate or false.

Preferably, the method comprises the further steps of: reviewing thedata associated with at least one method step recorded to the centralresource, wherein the data comprises location information; comparing thelocation information to an item of verifiable information containedwithin the profile; and issuing a location alert if there is adiscrepancy between the location information and the item of verifiableinformation. For example, if the profile includes information assigninga location to a user and the location information diverges from theverifiable information contained within the profile, this may indicatean increased likelihood of fraudulent activity.

Preferably, the or the plurality of reference sources comprises athird-party database. Preferably, the or the plurality of referencesources comprises the central resource. Preferably, the or the pluralityof reference sources comprises information provided by a customer orquality controller. A quality controller may be a specific partyauthorised to asses the quality of any given work or service.Alternatively, quality controller may be interpreted as any third partythat verifies the quality of work or service, preferably based onselected criteria. Where the or the plurality of reference sourcescomprises the central resource this allows the collation of a largeamount of data in a central location, increasing the ease and accuracyof the verification procedures and checks.

Preferably, the or the plurality of reference sources comprisesinformation provided by a second user. More preferably, the methodfurther comprises recording the association between the user and thesecond user in the central resource. Preferably, the method furthercomprises the step of defining a predetermined relationship status tothe association between the user and the second user and recording thisrelationship in the central resource.

Preferably, the method simultaneously confirms the credentials ofmultiple users. Preferably, the method comprises the further steps ofanalysing the data recorded in the central resource, and providing eachuser with a user score. In this way, there is provided a singleindicator to summarise the user data. More preferably, the methodcomprises the further step of recording each user's user score in thecentral resource. Still more preferably, the method comprises thefurther step of continually or periodically reviewing the data recordedin the central resource, and updating each user's user score. In thisway, continuous review of a user's credentials is undertaken to ensureaccurate data is maintained over a period of time. Preferably, the stepof continually or periodically reviewing the data recorded in thecentral resource, and updating each user's user score includes reviewingthe user score of all associated users. This ensures that up-to-dateverification and scoring of each user is maintained, and that the scoreof each use reflects the score of their associates.

Preferably, the method comprises the further step of ranking each userby their user score. In this way, the user may be assessed based ontheir standings within the user base and/or against a set target orcriteria.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda data processing apparatus comprising means for carrying out the methodaccording to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided acomputer program comprising instructions which, when the program isexecuted by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the methodaccording to the first aspect of the present invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provideda computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executedby a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of the firstaspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way ofexample and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a computer implemented method according tothe first aspect of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the computerimplemented method of FIG. 1 , according to the first aspect of thepresent invention.

Herein, the method is described in relation to a tradesperson, but it isenvisaged that the method and related technology can also be applied toany service provider or profession on an individual or company widebasis.

Referring firstly to FIG. 1 , there is shown schematic view of acomputer implemented method 100, according to the first aspect of theinvention. The method 100 allows a user to provide data for verificationsuch that the user's credentials are verified and trust in the user maybe established by others.

The first step of the method 100 is a DATA PROFILE step 101. Herein, theuser is allowed to create a profile containing verifiable data. Forexample, this data can be in the form of; personal data, such a name,age and contact details; data on education, such as qualifications andaccreditations; historical data, such as data on past performance andprevious employment; and data concerning others, such as data concerninga previous employer. The data contained in the user profile may beprovided in the form of documentation, such as ID or certificates,hyperlinks to websites and images. In this example, the verifiable datais the user's name and that the user is an approved member of aprofessional register, namely an approved gas engineer on the ‘UK GasSafe Register’.

The next step of the method 100 is a RECORD DATA step 102, wherein theverifiable data is recorded to a central resource, such as a centraldatabase or central ledger. The user's name and data regarding the ‘GasSafe Register’ membership of the user are recorded onto the centralresource. The DATA PROFILE step 101 and RECORD DATA step 102 form thePROVIDE phase 106 of the method 100.

Following this, a CROSS CHECK DATA step 103 comprises cross checking anitem of verifiable data with a reference source. In this example, thereference source is an official database of approved members of the ‘GasSafe Register’ as provided by the Registration Body. The CROSS CHECKDATA step 103 determines whether the user's name is found on theRegister and cross checks this with the data provided by the user in theDATA PROFILE step 101. The CROSS CHECK DATA step 103 provides a result,either that the provided user credentials are correct, or that theprovided user credentials are incorrect.

The data associated with the result of the CROSS CHECK DATA step 103 isrecorded to the central resource in a RECORD CROSS CHECK DATA step 104.In this way, the central resource comprises both the user-provided dataand the cross checked data. The CROSS CHECK DATA step 103 and the RECORDCROSS CHECK DATA step 104 form the CROSS CHECK phase 107 of the method100.

Next, data associated with the DATA PROFILE step 101 is recorded to thecentral resource, including the time and IP data, in a RECORD METHODDATA step 105. The IP data can be used to identify the user's devicetype, host name, proxy, IP address as well as IP location, providinginformation regarding the location of the user.

A benefit of confirming a user's credentials is that a profile offactual, accurate user information can be built, improving userreputation and trustworthiness of the user-provided data profile.Additionally, the user data is collated, verified and recorded in acentral resource so all data is stored collectively.

With reference to FIG. 2 , there is provided a schematic view of afurther embodiment of the computer implemented method according to thefirst aspect of the present invention. The method 200 comprises thestages undertaken such that a user's credentials are verified. Themethod 200 stages are carried out on a computer via user access to asoftware and or website platform. It is envisaged that the method 200stages may be undertaken in an alternative order to that presented inthe embodiment.

The method 200 comprises a number of PROVIDE phases 106, CROSS CHECKphases 107 and RECORD METHOD DATA steps 105 in accordance with theembodiment of FIG. 1 . Data regarding each stage of the method 200 isrecorded to the central resource in the RECORD METHOD DATA steps 105.

The first stage of the method 200 is a LANDING stage 201 comprising aDATA PROFILE step 101 as outlined in the embodiment of FIG. 1 . The userinputs a plurality of data to a landing page of the software and orwebsite platform, such as their category of trade, location, emailaddress and password. This allows a user profile to be created andaccessed by the user. The data from the LANDING stage 201, such as thetime and IP data, is recorded to the central database in a RECORD METHODDATA step 105, and similar data is recorded in similar steps in theproceeding stages of the method 200. A QR tag is created for each usersuch that a unique verification ID is created.

There follows a DASHBOARD stage 202 wherein the data inputted in theLANDING stage 201 is recorded to a central resource. In this way, areward or affiliate wallet of the user's data is created in the centralresource. The DASHBOARD stage 202 further comprises the verification ofuser contact details, such as sending an email containing a hyperlink tothe user's email address through which the user may verify this emailaddress.

Next, a KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER (KYC) stage 203 is initiated. The KYC stage203 comprises a PROVIDE phase 106 as outlined in the first embodiment.Herein, the user is allowed to input verifiable data, such as theirname, age, address, location of trade operation and employer. Further,the user is requested to provide proof of this data in the form ofofficial documentation, such as a copy of an ID, passport, drivinglicense or employment contract. This data is recorded to the centralresource such that a general wallet of the user's data is created in thecentral resource. The KYC stage 203 also comprises a RECORD METHOD DATAstep 105, wherein user IP data is recorded to the central resource.

The KYC stage 203 further comprises a CROSS CHECK phase 107, wherein theverifiable data provided in the PROVIDE phase 106 is cross checkedagainst a reference source, and the result of the cross check isrecorded on the central database. For example, the user's drivinglicense details are cross checked against a third-party database, namelyan official Government database of qualified drivers. Each item ofverifiable data is cross checked against a plurality of referencesources, where available, to improve accuracy and reliability of theverification method 200.

If the verifiable data fails to correspond with the reference source, analert is issued. The presence or absence of alert data is recorded ontothe central resource and is used to verify the user verifiable data andconfirm the user credentials, namely no alert indicates the usercredentials are correct or verified.

The CROSS CHECK phase 107 further comprises comparing data recorded tothe central resource in the DASHBOARD stage 202 with data recorded tothe central resource in the KYC stage 203. The data provided on theuser's location of trade operation in the KYC stage 203 is compared withthe location information provided in the LANDING stage 201. The data isfurther compared to the IP data recorded in the RECORD METHOD DATA step105 of the KYC stage 203. The distance between the IP location of theuser, the user-inputted location and the user-inputted location of tradeis compared. The comparison is reviewed to determine whether thelocations are within a desired distance of one another, in order toverify the user-provided verifiable data. The desired range isdetermined from data stored on the central resource and an alert isissued if the comparison produces a distance outside of the desiredrange.

For example, if the user states that their location is ‘London’ andtheir location of trade operation is ‘London’, but the IP data shows theuser is located in ‘Paris’, an alert is issued. This is because thedistance between the users IP location and their stated location isoutside the desired range. Additionally, if a user states that theirlocation is ‘Edinburgh’ and their location of trade is ‘London’, analert is issued as the distance between the location of the user andtheir location of trade is outside a range of feasible commute distance.

There follows a QUALIFICATIONS AND OR ACCREDITATIONS stage 204comprising another PROVIDE phase 106. Herein, the user provides dataregarding qualifications, accreditations, training and any professionalawards, schemes and memberships, with this verifiable data beingrecorded to the central resource.

The QUALIFICATIONS AND OR ACCREDITATIONS stage 204 comprises a CROSSCHECK phase 107 wherein the data is cross checked against thecorresponding official records and scheme providers. Additionally, theQUALIFICATIONS AND OR ACCREDITATIONS stage 204 comprises a secondPROVIDE phase 106, wherein the user is asked to provide a copy ofcertificates and proof of attendance corresponding to the data given inthe first PROVIDE phase 106.

Next, a SOCIAL PROOF stage 205 is initiated, wherein the user providesverifiable data regarding social proof of credentials. In this way, theuser may provide reviews from public review websites, reviews or profiledata from dedicated trades directories as well as social media reviewsor client media of work completed. It is envisioned that this stage mayinclude the provision of any publically accessible data. Additionally, acustomer or quality controller can provide information for this stage.Again, following a PROVIDE phase 106, the CROSS CHECK phase 107 crosschecks the social proof with reference sources, such as customer orquality controller information, to verify that the data provided iscorrect.

Additionally, the verifiable social proof data is cross checked with theverifiable data provided at previous stages of the method 200 and thedata contained within the user profile. For example, if a customerreview regarding work carried out in London is provided in the SOCIALPROOF stage 205 and the location of trade is verified to be Edinburgh onthe user profile, a location alert is issued because there is adiscrepancy between the location of the social proof data and theverified location where the user operates.

The location of social proof is also cross checked with prior datarecorded on the central resource. For example, if prior verifiable datarecorded on the central resource provided previously by the userindicates that a prior location of trade is London, then an alert is notissued when the location of social proof data is also London, despitethe user's current verified location of trade being Edinburgh. In thisway, the reference source comprises the central resource.

A LEGAL stage 206 follows wherein legal documentation, such as insurancedata and criminal history checks, are provided by the user in a PROVIDEphase 106 and then cross checked in a CROSS CHECK phase 107. Similarly,an OPERATIONS stage 207 wherein records of operation are provided by theuser and cross checked, with the data being recorded to the centralresource.

There follows a REFERENCING stage 208 wherein the user provides dataregarding referees, such as customers, employers, vendors or co-workers,in a PROVIDE phase 106. The REFERENCING stage 208 comprises contactingeach referee and requesting a reference, such as emailing each referee aform to complete and return. For example, if the referee is a clientthey may be asked: “Have you previously used services from [USER]?”,“Recalling your experience, what was it like? (1 Terrible-5 Excellent)”,“When was the job carried out?”, “Where was the job carried out?” and“What job/jobs were carried out?”. The reference form is hosted on thesoftware and or website platform and is linked to the user such that thedata provided by the user and the data provided by the referee arelinked in the central resource. User action is not required regardingthe reference form after the PROVIDE phase 106 of the REFERENCING stage208, such that the referee may provide a truthful reference without riskof prejudice or pressure from the user. There follows a PROOF OF WORKstage 209, wherein the user provides evidence and proof of work, as wellas their own reference from the referee.

The user-provided reference in the PROOF OF WORK stage 209 is crosschecked with the reference completed by the referee in the REFERENCINGstage 208. In this way, a review step wherein data associated withREFERENCING stage 208 and the PROOF OF WORK stage 209 is recorded to thecentral resource, is undertaken. If the result of the cross check isthat the user-provided reference of the PROOF OF WORK stage 209 does notmatch the reference provided by the referee in the REFERENCING stage208, an alert is issued.

Additionally, the RECORD METHOD DATA steps 105 of the REFERENCING stage208 and the PROOF OF WORK stage 209 record the device type and or IP andtime data at completion of each stage. During the CROSS CHECK phase 107of the PROOF OF WORK stage 209, the data provided in the RECORD METHODDATA steps 105 of the REFERENCING stage 208 and the PROOF OF WORK stage209 is used to assist in verifying the verifiable data.

The IP data comprises location information. The location information ofthe referee completing the reference form in the REFERENCING stage 208is compared with the location information of the user in the PROOF OFWORK stage 209. The locations are recorded on the central resource andthe proximity between the location where completion of the referenceform in the REFERENCING stage 208 occurred and the location wherecompletion of the PROOF OF WORK stage 209 is determined. If the resultof the comparison shows the proximity of the locations are outside of adesired range, namely the locations are too close together or are thesame, then a proximity alert is issued. This assists in preventing theuser, or a member of the users household, from fraudulently acting asthe referee and providing the referee data themselves.

Next, a SPONSORS stage 210 may be initiated if appropriate for the user.It may be appropriate for the SPONSOR stage to be initiated if the useris inexperienced, unqualified or at an early career stage. The user isprompted to provide data regarding a sponsor in a PROVIDE phase 106,such as sponsor name, sponsor email, trade category, sponsoraccreditations and sponsor competitor reviews. Herein, the SPONSORSstage 210 further comprises the step of providing sponsors social proofin a similar manner to the steps undertaken in the SOCIAL PROOF stage205 for providing the users social proof.

In a similar manner to the reference form of the REFERENCING stage 208,a sponsor form is emailed to the sponsor for competition. Such a formrequests the sponsor to confirm that the information provided by theuser in the PROVIDE phase 106 of the SPONSORS stage 210 is correct.Additionally, the sponsor is requested to provide business informationand data regarding themselves, similar to that which is provided by theuser in the KYC stage 203.

If the sponsor is a second user, data may be taken from the centralresource regarding the second user to cross check with the informationprovided by both the user and the second user. In this way, thereference source comprises information provided by the second user.

The method 200 comprises recording the association between the user andthe second user, such that data regarding the user and second user islinked in the central resource. This association is assigned apredetermined relationship, in this case, the user is the trainee andthe second user is the trainer. The trainee/trainer relationship betweenthe two users is recorded on the central resource.

There follows a VERIFICATION stage 211 wherein it is determined whetherthe verifiable data is verified, and the credentials on the user profileare confirmed, by providing the user with a user score which is recordedto the central resource. In this way, the central resource comprises theuser score of all users.

The user score is determined by the quantity of alerts, with each alertbeing weighted based on its importance in determining that the user isreputable. The lower the number of alerts and the weighting of thereceived alerts, the higher the user score and the greater the level ofverification that has been achieved. The user score provides aquantified, simple indicator of the level of trust that can be placed inthe information of the user and their profile and ultimately the userthemselves.

If a user fails to meet a minimum user score then their profile may beremoved from the platform and they may not be allowed to seekverification of their credentials before a specified period of time haselapsed.

Further, the user score is used to rank each user such that each userfalls within a predetermined band. This motivates users to improve theiruser score such that they can progress to a higher band. In thisembodiment, the bands include ‘Junior Talent: looking to enrol/anexisting apprentice’, ‘Rising Talent: Newly graduated/Little or noindustry experience’, ‘Advanced Talent: Moderate industry experience (5+years)’, ‘Professional: Extensive industry experience (10+ years)’,‘Expert: Completed 50 successful jobs on the platform’ and ‘Master:Completed 100 successful jobs on the platform’.

To access a higher band, certain criteria must be met, such as aspecified number of verified qualifications and or accreditations, aspecified period in the trade, a specified number of relationships withother users or a specified maximum quantity of alerts. In this way, theuser is provided with motivation to improve their user score byimproving their industry experience, skills, knowledge, competency andreputability in the trade. Additionally, other incentives may beprovided to encourage the user to improve their user score and accesshigher bands, such as greater flexibility in which verifiable data canbe provided, greater access to other services provided on the platformand an increased number of user relationship options to choose from.

Each user score is continually or periodically reviewed and updated onthe central resource. In this way, if a user has been inactive for anumber of years, their score falls until proof of recent work,maintenance of training and conformity to new laws has been proven.Additionally, if the user score of an associated user changes, such asanother user with a predetermined relationship to the user, this isreflected in the score of the user; a reduction in the user score of atrainee can negatively impact the user score of a trainer.

Additionally, if the verifiable data or reference source is provided bya prior user, such as another user in the same trade, the dataassociated with the prior user on the central resource is considered.For example, if a referee of the REFERENCING stage 208 is a prior userand has a low rank or user score, this data is linked to the user on thecentral resource and an alert is issued.

In this way, there is provided a method 200 to verify and confirm auser's credentials, wherein a quantified user score and ranking systemimproves transparency of information regarding users and motivates usersto improve their industry experience, skills, knowledge, competency andreputability.

1. A computer implemented method for confirming the credentials of auser comprising the method steps of: allowing said user to create aprofile containing verifiable data; recording the verifiable data to acentral resource; cross checking an item of verifiable data with areference source; recording data associated with the result of the crosscheck to the central resource; and recording data associated with atleast one method step to the central resource.
 2. The computerimplemented method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises crosschecking an item of verifiable data against a plurality of referencesources.
 3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 or claim 2,wherein the method comprises cross checking a plurality of items ofverifiable data against a plurality of reference sources.
 4. Thecomputer implemented method of any one preceding claim, wherein themethod comprises the further review step of: comparing data associatedwith two or more method steps recorded to the central resource; andissuing an alert if the comparison produces a result outside of adesired range.
 5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, whereinthe review step comprises determining the desired range from data storedon the central resource.
 6. The computer implemented method of claim 5,wherein the data stored on the central resource comprises prior userdata associated with a prior user.
 7. The computer implemented method ofany one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the review step further comprisesrecording data associated with the presence or absence of an alert tothe central resource.
 8. The computer implemented method of any one ofclaims 4 to 7, wherein the data comprises the time the method steps werecompleted, comparing the data associated with the completion of two ormore method steps recorded to the central resource comprises determiningthe elapsed time period between the completion of the two or more methodsteps; and issuing an alert if the comparison produces a result outsideof a desired range comprises issuing a time alert if the elapsed timeperiod is outside of a desired range.
 9. The computer implemented methodof any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the data comprises locationinformation, comparing the data associated with the completion of two ormore method steps recorded to the central resource comprises determiningthe proximity between the locations where completion of the two or moremethod steps occurred; and issuing an alert if the comparison produces aresult outside of a desired range comprises issuing a proximity alert ifthe proximity is outside of a desired distance range.
 10. The computerimplemented method of any one preceding claim, wherein the methodcomprises the further steps of: reviewing the data associated with atleast one method step recorded to the central resource, wherein the datacomprises location information; comparing the location information to anitem of verifiable information contained within the profile; and issuinga location alert if there is a discrepancy between the locationinformation and the item of verifiable information.
 11. The computerimplemented method of any one preceding claim, wherein the or theplurality of reference sources comprises a third-party database.
 12. Thecomputer implemented method of any one preceding claim, wherein the orthe plurality of reference sources comprises the central resource. 13.The computer implemented method of any one preceding claim, wherein theor the plurality of reference sources comprises information provided bya customer or quality controller.
 14. The computer implemented method ofany one preceding claim, wherein the or the plurality of referencesources comprises information provided by a second user.
 15. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 14, wherein the method furthercomprises recording the association between the user and the second userin the central resource.
 16. The computer implemented method of claim15, wherein the method further comprises the step of defining apredetermined relationship status to the association between the userand the second user and recording this relationship in the centralresource.
 17. The computer implemented method of any one precedingclaim, wherein the method simultaneously confirms the credentials ofmultiple users.
 18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, whereinthe method comprises the further steps of analysing the data recorded inthe central resource, and providing each user with a user score.
 19. Thecomputer implemented invention method of claim 18, wherein the methodcomprises the further step of recording each user's user score in thecentral resource.
 20. The computer implemented method of claim 18 orclaim 19, comprising the further step of continually or periodicallyreviewing the data recorded in the central resource, and updating eachuser's user score.
 21. The computer implemented method of claim 18,claim 19 or claim 20, comprising the further step of ranking each userby their user score.
 22. A data processing apparatus comprising meansfor carrying out the method of any one preceding claim.
 23. A computerprogram comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by acomputer, cause the computer to carry out the method of any one ofclaims 1 to
 21. 24. A computer-readable medium comprising instructionswhich, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out themethod of any one of claims 1 to 21.